Spherical video provides a full 360 degree image encapsulating the point of view of the recording device (e.g., camera). Spherical video viewed with a virtual reality (VR) device (e.g., VR headset) is able to make a user feel as if he or she is immersed in the place being viewed. Currently, most spherical videos do not offer a depth component. Instead, the spherical videos are a set of two-dimensional (2D) (also referred to as “monoscopic”) images wrapped around the user. Modifying the spherical video to be three-dimensional (3D) (also referred to as “stereoscopic”) contributes to the immersion experience for the user.
Advances in display technology have caused display devices capable of conveying a stereoscopic perception of 3D depth to a view to become increasingly common. These 3D displays may be found in high-definition (HD) television sets, gaming devices, and other computing devices. The growing number of 3D displays has led to a need for additional 3D visual content (e.g., images, video), such as rendering spherical video in a 3D format. However, current solutions for rendering 3D spherical video have been sub-optimal because the existing solutions do not look natural and generally only work when the user is looking in a particular direction (i.e., will not work when a user tilts their head or looks in certain directions).